Attack Surface Research Analyst

Bank of America; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Pension plan

Paid maternity leave

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Bank of America is seeking an Attack Surface Research Analyst to map the bank’s digital footprint across on-prem and cloud assets, assessing exposure and exploitable risk. You’ll build and maintain data pipelines, queries, and dashboards to support cyber risk stakeholders.

The role requires strong SQL/Python skills, experience with Qualys, Tanium, BladeLogic, and SSRS/Power BI. You will work closely with Information Security and risk teams to deliver timely insights and executive summaries.

Qualifications

• Experience with SQL-based data querying and scripting
• Hands-on analysis of large datasets to map vulnerability surfaces
• Automation of data ingestion and enrichment pipelines

Responsibilities

• Create SQL and Python scripts in Qualys, Tanium and BladeLogic to query datasets for Attack Surface Review.
• Analyze large-scale datasets to map and report vulnerability surface.
• Automate ETL data ingestion and transformation.
• Develop visualizations and reports in Power BI/SSRS to support security teams.
• Explain findings clearly to executives and stakeholders.

Skills

SQL

Python

Qualys

Tanium

BladeLogic

Power BI

SSRS

MSIS

ETL

Data analysis

Network awareness

Tools

SQL Server

SSIS

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Attack Surface Research Analyst

Corporate Title: Up to Vice President

Location: Chester or Dublin

Company Overview

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. We do this by driving Responsible Growth and delivering for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day.

Being a Great Place to Work is core to how we drive Responsible Growth. This includes our commitment to being a diverse and inclusive workplace, attracting and developing exceptional talent, supporting our teammates’ physical, emotional, and financial wellness, recognizing and rewarding performance, and how we make an impact in the communities we serve.

At Bank of America, you can build a successful career with opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact. Join us!

Location Overview

Chester

Find us in the city of Chester, a destination renowned for its culture, history, and beauty. Working at Bank of America Chester offers a far-reaching global career for a world-renowned organisation, whilst being ideally situated against the backdrop of the rolling North Wales hills and the banks of the serene River Dee.

Central Park

Overlooking the spectacular Iveagh Gardens with access to all amenities in the beating heart of central Dublin is our Park Place office. Travel options include the LUAS, Dublin Bus networks as well as the Dublin Bikes station, positioned just outside our front doors. As part of our commitment to supporting staff travel to and from work in the most sustainable way possible, we also provide tax saver tickets as part of our award-winning benefits package which means getting to work has never been easier

Role Description

The Cyber Security Assurance, Attack Surface Research (ASR) role maintains and performs queries across a wide array of asset enumeration and research toolsets, spanning on-premises and cloud platforms, to effectively map, measure, and report on the topography of the Bank’s network endpoints and other assets for vulnerability risk.

In addition to core investigative matters, the role is responsible for ensuring the stability and enhancement of the backend infrastructure used to create high quality queries, datasets, and visualizations from various enterprise platforms and security data sources. Individuals in the role will routinely ad-hoc investigate infrastructure and vulnerability asset data in support of partner Information Security teams, to help correctly ascertain and communicate vulnerability risk to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

The role requires a highly collaborative, analytical and detail-oriented mindset, with a focus on ensuring conclusions and/or insights reflect innovative thinking as well as accurate information gathering under time pressure to fully answer three core questions as quickly as possible.

• Do we have it?
• Are we vulnerable?
• Is it exploitable?

Persons in this role operate as part of a team developing methods to quickly reference systems of record (SORs), systems of origin (SOOs) and other available data stores to provide a comprehensive, reliable and timely view of the Bank’s Attack Surface, both as it relates to vulnerability exploitation risk as well as other concerns.

Responsibilities

• Create SQL and Python scripts within Qualys, Tanium and BladeLogic to query datasets, to support Attack Surface Review.
• Perform hands-on analysis of large-scale datasets to correlate map, measure, and report on the overall vulnerability attack surface of the Bank.
• Leverage Python, SQL, and other languages/platforms to automate data ingestion, transformation, enrichment, and quality validation (ETL)
• Develop and maintain visualizations and reports in Power BI or MS-Reporting Services (SSRS) MS-Integration Services (MSIS) that support operational teams, cyber leadership, and stakeholders across Information Security and broader risk teams.
• Possesses network architecture experience sufficient to reasonably speak to the Bank’s data network and architecture in a timely manner to major inquiries as both an individual and as part of projects by the larger team.
• Clearly communicate findings through written analysis and live discussions, including executive level summaries

What we’re looking for

• Deep analytical, problem solving, and conceptual thinking skills
• Self-motivated, detail oriented, and able to manage work independently
• Amongst others, SQL-backend and Python development experience used for automation, data processing, and integration (as opposed to statistical or ML modeling):
• Experience with SQL Server development, including Indexes, constraints, table switching, transaction management, error handling, and activity logging
• Experience with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), including DevOps integration, scripting tasks, packaging, deployment, and conditional workflows
• Hands-on experience with data ingestion and ETL pipelines (batch and near real time)
• Python development experience used for automation, data processing, and integration
• Experience with SSRS, including subscriptions, report management, Tablix, matrix, and cascading parameters
• Intermediate to advanced understanding of network infrastructure, including Servers, switches, load balancers, and related components; basic network segmentation and exposure concepts
• Excellent research skills with the ability to identify relevant and/or unconventional data sources for enumeration of enterprise technologies, to understand how various assets operate and/or are used across the Bank, as well as persistently investigate and be able to effectively validate findings.

Skills that will help

• Analytical, problem solving, and conceptual thinking skills
• Self-motivated, detail oriented, and able to manage work independently
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain and/or translate technical findings in meetings and documentation

Benefits of working at Bank of America

UK

• At Bank of America, we strive to prioritise employees’ health and wellbeing – it’s what makes us a Great Place to Work.
• Private healthcare for you and your family plus an annual health screen to help you manage your physical wellness with the option to purchase a screen for your partner
• Competitive pension plan, life assurance and group income protection cover if you become unable to work as a result of a disability or health reasons
• We offer 26-weeks paid maternity leave, 16-weeks paid paternity leave and inclusive family leave arrangements for working parents and carers including 20 days of back-up childcare including access to school holiday clubs and 20 days of back-up adult care per annum
• The ability to change your core benefits as well as the option of selecting a variety of flexible benefits to suit your personal circumstances including access to a wellbeing account, travel insurance, critical illness, cycle to work etc.
• Use of a flex fund to use towards benefits
• Access to an emotional wellbeing helpline, and virtual GP services
• Access to the Peppy App which provides 1:1 support, consultations and resources relating to men’s health, women’s health, fertility, menopause and pregnancy & parenthood
• Access to a range of gyms, exercise classes and wellbeing Apps through Wellhub, including Headspace and Calm
• Ability to donate to charities of your choice directly through payroll and the bank will match your contribution
• Opportunity to give back to your community, develop new skills and work with new groups of people by volunteering in your local area

Good conduct and sound judgment is crucial to our long term success. It’s important that all employees in the organisation understand the expected standards of conduct and how we manage conduct risk. Individual accountability and an ownership mind-set are the cornerstones of our Code of Conduct and are at the heart of managing risk well.

We are an equal opportunities employer and ensure that no applicant is subject to less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, gender identity or gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, race, religious or similar philosophical belief, political opinion, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, socio-economic background, responsibility for dependants or physical or mental disability. The Bank selects candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience.

We strive to ensure that our recruitment processes are accessible for all candidates and encourage any candidates to tell us about any adjustment requirements.